Summer Evening Jam Session

When I got home tonight, I pretty much just wanted to go to bed.  Instead, my sister and I drove over to Rooney's Front Porch Farm, a local U-Pick berry farm about 30 minutes or so from home, and spent about an hour picking blueberries.  It was one of those summer nights that remind me that maybe summer isn't so bad after all... It rained this afternoon, so the air was fresh and (almost) cool, the sun was low, the berries were abundant, and as we picked and chatted, the singularly satisfying rumble of the farmer's John Deere in the distance blended with the herd of sheep in the field next door.  It was, just, really, really nice.

(I forgot to take pics while I was out there, so hopefully the owners don't mind if I "borrow" these... Frankly, it's even prettier than it looks.)

By the time I got home with my just-picked, sun-warmed blueberries, peace and contentment had made tremendous progress edging out exhausted frustration.  I felt the long-dormant stirrings of culinary inspiration, so I headed out to Publix for some sugar and pectin.  Lo and behold, I had the tremendous good fortune to run into a dear friend, one who happens to grow the best tomatoes pretty much ever, and who happened to have some in his car.  Joe, you retain your title as king of the tomato-growers; sprinkled with a little Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper, they formed a dinner fit for royalty.  

Thus fortified, I got to work.  When it comes to strawberries, I'm a big fan of the fresh quality of freezer jam, but for some reason, I don't feel like it works quite the same for blueberries.  When I do blueberry jam, I tend to like the more traditional, cooked variety.  I'm also not normally a fan of quirky flavor additions. (When you fly solo, it can take awhile to work your way through a batch of jam, and what starts out as a fun novelty can start to get old.)  Tonight, though, I had the itch to do something a little different.  I kept coming back to lavender; I love the stuff anyway, and somehow, it felt like blueberries and lavender might be a good fit.  I found a recipe at seriouseats.com, and spent some time comparing ratios and measurements like a good nerd, just to be sure it was legit. (To be honest, I rarely go online for recipes, and when I do, it's to a very small handful of sites that I trust, Allrecipes.com not included.)

This recipe called for steeping lavender buds in boiling water to create a sort of "tea", and then combining that with crushed blueberries and the peel and juice of a lemon.  Then you boil that with some pectin, a little butter and a shocking amount of sugar, and ladle the bubbling mass of deep purple goodness into hot jars.  A few minutes in a hot-water bath and now I have six jewel-like jars lined up on my kitchen counter, and as I write, every so often, I hear a loud "POP", telling me that another jar lid has bonded with its mate.  

The flavor?  Incredible.  The lavender and lemon lend a surprising lightness and delicateness that would make this jam right at home at a proper English tea.

Meanwhile, I'm imagining whipping up a simple polenta olive oil cake, splitting it down the middle and slathering it with this jam, and then topping it with a dollop of soft, freshly-whipped cream and a smattering of fresh tarragon.  Or maybe it'll accompany shortbread, hot from the oven.  It will definitely be a part of my new favorite breakfast - warm rice pudding or porridge topped with a spoonful of homemade jam and a sprinkling of toasted nuts.

Better yet, all of the above.

Turned out to be a nice night!